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Wednesday, May 18, 2016

The Savages of Time

The Savages of Time are heralds of cosmic entropy found in only the oldest ruins on dying and dead worlds. Their presence seems to erode these ruins such that by the end they are nothing more than foundations. From Earth the nearest example of their handy work may be seen on Mars, though - due in part to the zigguratic-structure of time, some of the ruins of that planet remain untouched.

They appear as morlock-like creatures - stouter than a man and with imbecilic features. They are not so much albinistic as colorless. They have neither art nor legends nor songs. Their material culture, such as it is, consists only of crude tools for practical purposes. Even these are prone to break in the hands of non-savages.

Wounds dealt by a savage contain the chill of cosmic entropy. As such, they may not be healed by non-magical means. Weapons which strike them must make a saving throw or rust beyond usefulness. Those made of precious metals do not rust but instead tarnish, reducing their value by half with each failed save. After four such failed saves the atoms of the weapon scatter harmlessly in a process that is only understood by those who meditate on the impermanence of all things.

Even magic fails in their presence. Magical weapons used against them must make a similar save (the weapons attack bonus acting as a bonus to the roll) or lose an effect with each strike. Should all its magic be drained in this manner, the weapon may then be destroyed as described above. Spells cast on the Savages of Time may never be memorized again and the spell slots used are no longer available to the caster.

Some scholars have speculated about the nature of their spontaneous generation and seeming lack of secondary sexual characteristics. A mad few have postulated that the savages of time are emanations of a 5th dimensional being best, but still dimly, understood as a god or titan of entropy. Should such a being exist its presence would only be detectable by use of dispel magic. Even this would only reveal the parts of the creature which intersect with the dimensions perceivable by man. In any event such a creature would appear as a shifting mass of colorless bubbles constantly ebbing and flowing, presumably about 30' in diameter. It would possess the following statistics: AC 15 HD 16 Attacks Beam of Entropy (3d6 damage), Special Cosmic Entropy Move 3/120 (Fly). Slaying the creature would remove the Savages of Time from existence and may even restore the ruins around them.